Regulations in the UK Cosmetics Industry

According to the CTPA, the UK Cosmetics Industry was worth £8,438,000,000 in 2013 and is one of the top five largest markets in the EU. As this is such an overwhelmingly prominent market that specialises in lotions and potions we apply directly to our skin, hair and teeth, regulations have to be solid and governing bodies are faced with the need to constantly review and sharpen up the rules.

People have been developing beauty products all over the world for thousands of years. The CTPA provides some interesting uses of beauty products over history; did you know that in 600 BC, people combined gum, egg whites, gelatine and beeswax to create nail varnish? Not only that, but the Ancient Romans discovered a trick to create waves in their hair by utilising soil, water and the sun!

Governing the UK Cosmetics Industry

There have been concerns voiced by campaigning groups about the safety of cosmetics, but the UK cosmetics industry is led by scientists who are in charge of researching and developing new formulations, as well as monitoring the safety of products. If there is the slightest chance that a cosmetic product poses a threat to our safety, it will be scientifically studied and evaluated, and then removed from the market.

REACH is the organisation that regulates chemical substances in general, but as the cosmetics industry is a specialist industry with often more stringent legislation, there are other governing bodies in place. For example, the EC Cosmetics Directive monitors the safety of cosmetics in Europe.

Manufacturing Cosmetics

Class 7 cleanroom suitable for the packing of cosmetics

Cosmetic products are manufactured under controlled conditions such as in a cleanroom. Our class 7 cleanroom provides a contaminant-free environment to safely pack and repack cosmetic products. Many of the ingredients used in cosmetic products are technical-grade; meaning strict regulations are in place for the process of manufacturing and supplying the ingredients.

Once packaged, all cosmetic products must be clearly labelled with the following accurate information:

List of ingredients

Name and address of manufacturer or supplier

Country of origin

Best before date

Warning statements and precautionary information

Batch number or lot code

Product function, where appropriate

Strict Rules in the UK Cosmetics Industry

Regulations got an overhaul in 2012, sprouting concern for the industry’s ability to innovate – if there were so many rules, how would companies have room to experiment and grow? Luckily, brands seemed to adapt to the regulations which are important for our safety and that of the environment.

The safety of all cosmetics products that go on sale has to be assessed by a professional, specifically a person with qualifications in toxicology. The assessment will be documented in an information pack to provide details such as the specification and composition of ingredients, methods of manufacture and effects on human health.

Materials in products must be disclosed on an EU database and there exists a list of banned ingredients which absolutely cannot be used in the UK cosmetics industry.

All negative reactions to products must be reported to the authorities in the country the reaction occurs in and this data should be made public. All of these rules have been implemented as a public assurance that your beauty products are not a toxic threat.

Striving for Improvement

Of course, as time has progressed, changes have been made to the rule book to eliminate bad practices and improve the cosmetics industry.

Now, companies must be able to present data to support any claims they make about a product. This is an effective way of putting an end to inaccurate claims such as “chemical-free shampoo” and “not tested on animals”.

The good news is that animal testing has largely been banned. The testing of finished cosmetic products and ingredients on animals has been stopped and The Cosmetics Directive is aiming to also eliminate safety testing on animals. However, it will still be permitted in certain circumstances that are subject to pre-approval.

In 2014, the exfoliating microbeads you find in some face washes and toothpaste were banned in certain US areas due to their effect on the environment. The beads are actually plastic, so researchers discovered that they weren’t biodegradable and were too small to be filtered out by wastewater materials. Not only this, but they were being eaten by fish that couldn’t digest them and ultimately ending up in the human food chain.

Major cosmetics companies such as Unilever and L’Oreal have agreed to phase out the microbeads. There are currently no restrictions on microbeads in the UK cosmetics industry, but campaigners are working to convince the big brands to phase out the particles on a global scale.

To stay informed with changes to regulations as they become news, follow our social channels. We’re always sharing information about the chemical and cosmetics industries and would love to connect with more of our readers.

Posted by: Amy Hawthorne

After graduating from Lancaster University in 2013, Amy joined ReAgent in early 2014 as a Marketing Assistant. She is responsible for creating regular blogs and managing ReAgent's social media accounts, as well as producing video content as part of our online marketing plan. Read more posts by Amy »